Liberty in America
columnist: rtbohan

Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
"Pluck Out One Eye"

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Bill Clinton is out campaigning for his wife again. And this time he is not telling lies.

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by rtbohan
(Libertarian)
Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Bill Clinton is out campaigning for Hillary again, and this time he is neither spreading innuendo nor telling outright lies. Instead he is relying on the truth. But he is only telling half of it.

On his recent campaign swing in Texas. Clinton courted the cheers of his audience by promising that Hllary as President would increase taxes on the rich. This is a popular theme among Democrats this year, and it has the advantage of being true. What is left out of the message is that Hillary's promised programs are going to massively raise the taxes on everyone. She cannot pay for her universal medicare program or many of her other promises without an exponential increase in taxes. In fact, this will mean that everyone will be paying the Alternate Minimum tax, since the funds needed for these programs will be too expensive. It is true that the top rate will probrably rise from 36.5% to 50%. But it will be necessary for those earning so little that they are paying only 10% to be paying 29%. When the Democrats talk about repealing the Bush tax cuts, they are not kidding around.

As far as the tax is concerned it will probably not be presented in the obscene form of the Alternative minimum tax itself. But it will be based on eliminating or reducing allowable tax deductions, including the personal and standard deductions. Deductions which remain will be set a higher minimum amount before they can be claimed.

The success of this line of argument for the Clintons and the Democrats does not depend wholly on the voters not seeing the whole truth. It depends on how far the voters have seen through the gospel of the hatred of the rich which the Democrats preach.

There is an old Serbian story of a peasant, Pavel,who tried to lead a good and virtuous life, but his virtue was tainted by the envy and hatred he felt for his rich neighbor.

One day God appeared to Pavel and said, "Pavel, you have led a virtuous life except for your hatred of your neighbor. I am willing to grant you any favor you wish--wealth, happiness, love--with the understanding that I will provide double that gift to your neighbor. Think carefully before you ask for the favor."

And Pavel replied, "Tear out one eye."

We can only hope that Americans have better sense.

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2008 rtbohan, all rights reserved.
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Last modified: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

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